Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed on Thursday as several major markets resumed trading after the New Year’s Day holiday. Investors reacted to private survey data showing factory activity in China grew less than expected in December, mirroring an official figure due earlier this week. Japan ( NKY:IND ) market closed. The Japanese yen remained largely unchanged around 157 per dollar on Thursday, amid thin trading volumes as Japan observed the holiday season. China ( SHCOMP ) fell -2.48% on Thursday in post-holiday trading, with the Shanghai Composite falling 1% to around 3,320 and the Shenzhen Component shedding 1.3% to 10,280 as investors reacted to disappointing factory activity data, and the offshore yuan held steady at around 7.30 per dollar, as investors returned from New Year’s holidays. A private survey revealed slower growth in China’s manufacturing sector in December, missing expectations for faster expansion. In response, Chinese authorities announced plans to issue a record 3 trillion yuan ($411 billion) in special treasury bonds in 2025. Meanwhile, traders also took note of President Xi Jinping’s New Year’s address on Tuesday, where he projected China’s 2024 GDP to surpass 130 trillion yuan and outlined plans for more proactive growth policies in 2025. Hong Kong ( HSI ) fell -2.18% to 19,695 on the first trading day in 2025 following a muted activity in the prior session amid steep losses in all sectors. India ( SENSEX ) rose +0.87% to 79,145 in early deals on Thursday, marking the second consecutive session of gains and hitting a two-week high, mainly supported by rises in the auto, tech, and financial services sectors. The HSBC India Manufacturing PMI dropped to 56.4 in December 2024, down from 56.5 in November, and revised lower from an initial estimate of 57.4. Australia ( AS51 ) rose +0.52% rose 0.52% to close at 8,201 on Thursday, kicking off the year with a modest gain as mining and energy stocks benefited from stronger commodity prices. The Australian dollar surged above $0.62 on Thursday, recovering from two-year lows. The Judo Bank Australia Manufacturing PMI fell to 47.8 in December 2024 , down from 49.4 in November, according to final data. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s Index of Commodity Prices dropped 10.7% year-on-year in December, easing slightly from a downwardly revised 10.8% decline in November. The benchmark KOSPI traded nearly flat at around 2,400 points early Thursday, as investors returned from New Year’s holidays. The South Korean won rose around 1,470 per dollar, reversing losses from the previous session but remained near 16-year lows. Investors now assessed the Bank of Korea's monetary policy outlook after Governor Rhee Chang-yong emphasized the need for flexibility and agility in a New Year’s address on Thursday, citing rising political and economic uncertainties. In the U.S., on Tuesday, all three major indexes ended in red with the S&P 500 down 0.4%, the Nasdaq Composite falling 0.1%, and the Dow shedding 30 points. U.S. stock futures: Dow +0.35% ; S&P 500 +0.54% ; Nasdaq +0.72% . Currencies: ( JPY:USD ), ( CNY:USD ), ( AUD:USD ), ( INR:USD ), ( HKD:USD ), ( NZD:USD ). More on Asia: China's manufacturing output slows in December to 50.5, misses expectations Australia's manufacturing downturn deepens in December China's Dec factory activity grows at slower rate for third month, service sector rises most in nine months Japan's December manufacturing PMI fall at slower pace, for sixth straight month BOJ's Dec summary raises expectations of rate hike soon; keeps policy rate steady at 0.25%
